The present invention relates to a laminated multilayer structure intended for a packaging laminate with embossed appearance, as well as such packaging laminate, a method of producing the laminated multilayer structure, and a method of embossing such packaging laminates, as well as packaging containers produced from the packaging laminate according to the present invention.
Packages of single-use disposable type have long been employed for packing and transporting liquid foods. Such so-called single-use packages are often produced from a flexible packaging laminate with a plurality of layers which each afford specific properties to the packaging laminate. For example, such packaging laminates normally include outer layers possessing superior thermosealing properties in order to make for reforming into packaging containers by fold formation and sealing of the outer layers against one another. Such thermosealable layers normally consist of thermoplastic which also functions as liquid and moisture barrier, on the one hand preventing moisture from the ambient surroundings from penetrating into the packaging wall and into the packed food product, and, on the other hand, preventing the liquid food from leaking out through the packaging wall into the surroundings. Such packaging laminates often also include a rigidifying core layer in order to impart to the finished packaging container strength and configurational stability, normally of paper or paperboard. Core layers of thicker, homogeneous or foamed plastic layers are also common.
For longer storage time of packed food products, such packaging laminates often include layers which act as barriers against gases and vapours, such as, for example, oxygen gas, in particular in the storage of the packed foods for a lengthy period of time, since oxygen gas has a negative effect on food products and their content of nutritive substances, vitamins, flavourings, etc. A very common type of gas barrier layer is thin foils or layers of metal or metal oxide, for example aluminium foil (Alifoil), but layers of polymer possessing superior gas barrier properties are also common, such as, for example, polyamide, ethyl vinyl alcohol copolymers, polyvinyl alcohol, and others.
Packaging containers are often produced in that a web of such a packaging laminate is reformed into a tube by the longitudinal edges of the web being united with one another, whereafter the tube is filled with the intended contents and sealed along narrow, transverse and spaced-apart sealing zones. The sealed sections of the tube containing the contents are thereafter separated from the tube by means of incisions in these sealing zones and can be formed by folding into a final geometric configuration which partly depends on how the sealing joints or seams have been oriented. It is also common to manufacture packaging containers by forming, from sheet-shaped packaging blanks, a container which is sealed in one end (the bottom or the top) and along the longitudinal joint, the container being filled the liquid food and thereafter sealed also in its other end (the top or bottom).
The composition of such packaging laminates is intended to impart to the packed product the best possible product protection properties, at the same time as making the package easy to produce and easy to handle. A very important property in a food package is moreover that it be aesthetically appealing, and can impart and added value to the packed food product, i.e. is attractive for customers to buy. Such added value may be attained in various ways depending upon the product which is packed and the customer group or age group which represents the target group. For example, fruit juices are often packed in packaging containers provided with fresh printed decorative artwork depicting fruit themes in bright, fresh colours. Glossy metal colours and artwork are often seen as being fresh and attractive. Such colours and artwork can be applied by means of known printing technology. Another method of providing packages with decorative artwork is to emboss, i.e. add figures and patterns to the packaging material by deforming the material by pressing and/or shearing it within certain regions according to a desired pattern. Such embossing according to known technology may suitably be put into effect on a core layer of paper or paperboard or a metal layer included in a packaging laminate if this is sufficiently thick. By such means, shadow effects in the surface of the packaging material will be obtained and the desired pattern clearly manifests itself.
One drawback in such patterned pressing or shearing is that it requires specifically manufactured mechanical tools, for example an embossing roller, like the creasing tools which are common today for providing a packaging material with fold indications. Such embossing tools are expensive to manufacture, in particular given that patterns and decorative artwork are subject to fickle fashion and are quite often replaced and renewed. Another drawback is that such mechanical methods always entail that a three-dimensional pattern or deformation is displayed on both sides of the packaging material, i.e. not only towards the outside of the packaging container, but also on its inside, which may involve problems in adhesion to surrounding layers on the inside along the depressed or raised surfaces seen from the inside of the packaging container. Further, conventional embossing places high demands on deformability and flexibility in the material which is to be embossed. Thin thermoplastic layers and thin metal layers and metal films of the type which are employed today to impart to the package superior oxygen gas barrier properties (or alternatively gloss metal appearance) are not suitable for mechanical embossing according to the known techniques. Employing thicker, flexible metal layers suitable for traditional embossing is not cost-effective, nor is it to be sought-for from the points of view of the environment and recycling, for which reason the only option is to emboss one of the other layers included in the packaging laminate, for example the core layer of paper or paperboard.
One object of the present invention is therefore to realise a novel, laminated multilayer structure which makes for the production of a packaging laminate with embossed appearance, without associated problems of the type inherent in the prior art technology.
Another object of the present invention is to realise a multilayer structure for a packaging laminate which may simply be given an embossed appearance without the employment of specially manufactured mechanical embossing tools.
A further object of the present invention is to realise a multilayer structure for producing a packaging laminate in which only the one side displays the pattern with embossed appearance.
These and other objects have been attained by means of a multilayer structure possessing the characterising feature as set forth in the characterising clause of appended Claim 1.
Preferred embodiments of the multilayer structure according to the present invention have further been given the characterising features as set forth in appended subclaims 2 to 6.
One object of the present invention is also to realise a packaging laminate with embossed appearance as defined in Claim 7, comprising a multilayer structure according to the present invention in which the flexible, deformable layer is distanced from the base layer in those subregions where the two layers are not adhesively bonded to one another and by such means display a surface in relief along these regions according to the predetermined pattern.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a further object is to realise a multilayer structure and a packaging laminate whose one side displays a glossy metal and also embossed appearance.
This object is attained according to the present invention by means of the characterising feature as set forth in the characterising clause of appended Claims 2 or 3.
A further object of this preferred embodiment of the present invention is to realise a cost-effective packaging laminate with glossy metal decorative artwork and an embossed appearance, as well as possessing superior oxygen gas barrier properties.
The term xe2x80x98multilayer structurexe2x80x99 is here taken to signify a structure which consists of two or more part layers.
The xe2x80x98flexible, deformable layerxe2x80x99 is here taken to signify a layer which may consist of one or more part layers and which possesses such properties that it, after having been deformed, substantially remains in its deformed state and does not resiliently reassume its original state. Preferably, the above-mentioned flexible layer consists of aluminium foil, in the present case coated with a thin layer of a thermoplastic, such as, for example, LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene).
The term xe2x80x98base layerxe2x80x99 is here taken to signify a relatively more rigid layer, preferably of paper or paperboard. The base layer may also consist of one or more part layers.
The relatively rigid base layer is so stiff that it does not give way to the force which is applied on the flexible layer for deforming and distancing it away from the base layer so that the two layers substantially no longer abut against one another within the adhesion-free part surfaces. One preferred example of such a base layer is a paper or paperboard layer with a grammage of approximately 40-400 g/m2. Other examples of base layers may be relatively rigid layers of homogeneous or foamed polymers. Depending upon the choice of plastic, such a layer should have a given minimum thickness in order not to be excessively pliable on the application of the above-mentioned deformation force.
The flexible, deformable layer is preferably a metal foil, most preferably an aluminium foil (Alifoil). With the correct choice of material, the flexible layer may consist of a polymer film or a metalised film of some type. Certain polymers are better suited to be able to be deformed in this manner, but most often need to be heated somewhat in order to assume another form than their original. Normally, such polymer layers should be heated to above their softening temperature during the deformation. The terms xe2x80x98flexiblexe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98deformablexe2x80x99 are here taken to signify that the layer should be able to be deformed slightly in relation to its original, planar shape, so that it is distanced from the base layer and no longer abuts against it, and that it substantially remains in its deformed state after the deformation force has been removed. Persons skilled in the art with knowledge of different materials can select polymers or other non-metallic materials for this purpose by studying mechanical properties and flexibility data.
The two layers can be partly laminated and bonded to one another by means of an interjacent adhesion-promoting binder or a so-called adhesive. Such an adhesive may be an adhesion polymer which is activated to bond to a surface on the application heat and pressure, or a binder which functions as a glue also without the supply of heat. Adhesion polymers are generally known within the packaging laminate sector. Other thermoplastic polymers which function as binders between the two layers by the application of heat and pressure and may be applied in the form of dispersion or solution by means of conventional pressure application technology can be employed as the adhesion-promoting agent, such as, for example LDPE. Preferably, such an adhesive layer is applied on the relatively rigid base layer which is subsequently united with the flexible layer in a roller nip, preferably with heating to approx. 40-90xc2x0 C., depending upon the choice of polymer or adhesion-promoting agent.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adhesion-free surfaces along which the flexible layer is to be deformed can be created by an adhesion-inhibiting agent being applied to these surfaces. The base layer has then been pre-coated with a thermoplastic layer or an adhesion plastic layer which, on activation under heating and pressure in the same manner as above, may be bonded to the flexible layer. The adhesion-inhibiting agent is suitably a composition which can be applied with printing methods such as offset or flexo-printing. Conventional printing inks of the type which are employed for decorative artwork on packages for liquid foods today are generally preferred as adhesion-inhibiting agents, against a flexible layer of Alifoil or a thermoplastic coated Alifoil.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there will further be realised a method of producing a laminated multilayer structure intended for a packaging laminate with embossed appearance according to the present invention, and a method of producing the packaging laminate with embossed appearance according to the present invention, respectively. The methods according to the present invention has been given the characterising feature as set forth in appended Claims 8 and 11, respectively.
Advantageous and preferred embodiments of the method according to the present invention have further been given the characterising features as set forth in appended subclaims 9 to 10 and 12 to 13, respectively.
By disposing a relatively flexible layer adjacent a relatively more rigid base layer so that both layers adhere to one another only along those part surfaces of the total contact surface of each respective layer according to a predetermined pattern, the flexible layer may be distanced from the base layer with the aid of a tractive force from, for example, a tacky surface or by means of a vacuum, for the formation of a surface in relief. The flexible layer is deformed so as to remain in its distanced state, i.e. it substantially does not resiliently reassume its original state closely adjacent the base layer.
According to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, adhesion between the part surfaces along which the two layers are intended to adhere to one another is realised by applying an adhesion-promoting agent along these part surfaces and then laying the two layers against one another and causing them to pass through a roller nip, preferably a warm roller nip.
According to another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, at least one of the above-mentioned layers is coated with a thermoplastic layer and one of the layers is outermost coated with an adhesion-inhibiting agent according to a predetermined pattern along those part surfaces along which the two layers are intended not to adhere to one another, so that the two layers are caused to adhere to one another along the remaining part surfaces in that the two layers are placed against one another and pressed against one another on passage through a warm roller nip.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the packaging laminate is embossed in that the flexible layer is distanced from the base layer in those part regions where the two layers do not adhere to one another, by means of suction force from a vacuum device.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flexible layer is distanced from the base layer by means of a tractive force from a tacky roller or a tacky film or tape.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a decorative packaging container is realised by conventional fold formation and sealing of a sheet- or webshaped packaging laminate comprising a laminated multilayer structure according to the invention.